El Escorial and Valley of the Fallen Day Trip from Madrid

Accompanied by an expert guide, you'll learn about the history and significance of these two colossal monuments, erected by two of Spain's most controversial rulers. The tour will take you on a comfortable, air-conditioned bus, which will take you from Madrid to both destinations on a round trip.

Excursion to El Escorial

On Tuesdays and Thursdays this excursion focuses on El Escorial. We will leave Madrid in the direction of the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, where the monastery of the same name is located. The monastery was built by order of Philip II, King of Spain, between 1563 and 1584, and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984.

The monastery, now run by the Order of Saint Augustine, was built to commemorate the victory over the French at the Battle of Saint Quentin in 1557, on Saint Lawrence's Day. The building occupies an area of 33,327 square metres, and is considered a museum in its own right. This is due to the enormous amount of paintings, sculptures and artistic works of all kinds that are kept inside.

Four and a half hours later we will return by bus to the Plaza de Oriente in Madrid.

Excursion to El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen

On Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the excursion is extended to include the Valley of the Fallen. For around 5 hours, you will have the opportunity to visit two of the most emblematic places in the community of Madrid; San Lorenzo de El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen.

The Valley of the Fallen, built by the Franco regime between 1940 and 1958 to commemorate the fallen of the national side during the Spanish Civil War. The Valley, located in the town of Guadarrama, is notable for its underground Catholic basilica, its abbey, and its monumental 150-metre-high cross, perched high on the cliff .

A large part of the monument was built by Republican political prisoners who participated as forced labourers. On 24 October 2019, the mortal remains of Francisco Franco were exhumed from the Valley, 44 years after his death.

After an in-depth look at the great mausoleums of Spanish history, we will return to Madrid on a journey of approximately one hour.